Investigation of Long Pulse Electrical Stimulation of long term denervated muscle in humans to evaluate therapeutic and functional benefits
Salisbury, Award: £3,000, Date of Award: 1 Jun 00
The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of a 12 month programme of electrical stimulation of denervated quadriceps muscle in humans using Long Pulse, Biphasic pulses and surface electrodes. Outcome measures of limb girth, muscle depth and limb blood flow were used as well as the minimum pulses widths required to produce muscle innervation.
The changes observed following long pulse stimulation appeared to be more therapeutic than functional. Clear improvements in the strength-duration characteristics of denervated muscle following long pulse stimulation were observed although there were no obvious functional benefits from this. While a trend towards improvement in muscle depth was noticed in Subject D, and the subject commented on this himself, this trend was not observed in other subjects.
All of the subjects in the trial commented that Long Pulse Electrical Stimulation had an effect on their sensation of pain. Given the high priority that people with SCI place on research into the possible reduction of pain this is an area that may be worth further exploration.
Extract taken from End of Project Report